Sorry to go on - honestly. But the reason for the SLE bid was that after the RFL/SLE turned down the ABC consortium the administrator threatened to liquidate Bradford there and then - sending the current season into utter chaos.

The administrator wanted to accept the ABC bid, they offered the best deal in town for the creditors. But the RFL were wary of giving Odsal and £1m guaranteed TV income to this previously non- rugby loving group of astute asian businessmen. Which is what they demanded as part of the deal.

The administrator was miffed - he'd found a deal to suit creditors and the pesky RFL wouldn't play ball. So he told the RFL Bradford would be liquidated.

At a hastily convened meeting of the SL clubs they came up with a solution to avoid what would have been within days the extinction of Bradford Bulls. They put in a bid themselves which they knew the administrator and the creditors couldn't refuse and guess what? The bid was for the exact amount of one years Bulls TV money which is a 7 figure sum.

SLE didn't really want to own Bradford they hoped another bid would materialise which would pay off the debts and now it has. That wouldn't have happened without the SLE bid - no one pays more than they have to but the SLE offer started the bidding at £1m.

One last point to consider - former chairman and still major shareholder Chris Caisley. He forced the resignation of chairman Peter Hood and then put the club into administration under Brendan Guilfoyle, someone known well to him via his law firm. Since then complete & utter silence from Caisley - was he hoping and expecting to pick up a 'newco' complete with Super League licence? Some people think so. If so the rug was well & truly pulled from under his feet by (IMO) the quite brilliant manouvre from Super League.

BTW although I am and always will be a lifelong Rovers supporter I live & work in Bradford hence my particular interest in them.

My take on the SLE bid is how it satisfied the creditors (circa £1.5 million) in order to avoid liquidation, and as such set the bar for any other bid(s). Note how there has not been any reference toward a CVA.

The £100,000 payback (so to speak) would be adjusted by the 2 'advances' made to cover the Bulls July/August players contracts.

I have to say I do feel the administrator has overstepped his remit. Having worked for the Official Receivers Office in the past, his sole duty was to find a buyer who would satisfy the Bulls creditors, and NOT to find a buyer who can demonstrate continuance of the business. TBH I am surprised the creditors, in particular, the tax man (IR & VAT), have not pursued the winding up order or placed enormous pressure once the administrator didn't bite the SLEs hand off!

Avoiding the damage to this season clearly was an issue, but so would be paying £1.5m [ijust[/i to avoid that one problem. 'Handing over' Odsal was clearly going to be more than problematic, but the Sky money and a place in SL wouldn't be an unreasonable request for an oldco. Take on the liabilities, take on the licence basically.




That anybody is willing to put in a bid that big is pretty astonishing and even more amazing would be that it hasn't then been resolved by now. I think we can probably both see a likely explanation, but to state it would be potentially libellous.

Anyway, if you're right it is to be an oldco, which is best all round.